Timber Frame Magazine » healthy homes

Timber Frames – A Responsible Choice

timbermag — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:49:02 +0000

The three R’s in the decades old sustainable living code – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – can easily be extended to include another “R” or even two. Making “responsible” choices is yet another step in the right direction. Decisions we make daily impact much more than our daily walk. Small decisions have long term benefits. Decisions we make on a larger scale can bring both short term and long term benefits.

When we make responsible choices as we build, we protect the environment. Timber frames (designed to fit the land and to be energy efficient, built with sustainable materials) make building responsibly much simpler than most building methods.

Tim Wall shares his insight on yet another “R” in an article in Discovery News. ”Reconsider could become the fourth R in the mantra…” in Tim’s view. This article explains that wooden structures become storehouses of carbon. The facts are there, it’s just up to us to make wise choices.

So whether the 3 R’s expand to include “Responsible” and “Reconsider” is up to you as you plan your new home. A timber frame home will help you to move in the right direction and will serve you well.

Building Timber Frames – First Steps

timbermag — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:32:16 +0000

When building your timber frame home, it’s important that you consider your site first and foremost. Your land will define your timber frame. From looking for land to evaluating a site, there is no step more critical to your building process.

Several years ago a guide called “The Mountain Home Guide” was published. We felt that it was important enough to post permanently on the Internet and maintain the site where you can read it or download the PDF version to read off line. This little booklet offers insight into the steps you should take when considering a piece of property. While it was written for the mountains, most of the information works no matter where you’re building.

Timber frames are meant to sit lightly on the land. Because they are sustainable and energy efficient, they are the perfect choice for a home that will last for generations. If you chose the land for your site wisely, you will be well served.

The Mountain Home Guide offers common sense advice on many of the key decisions you’ll make as you buy and develop your homesite. We offer it as important reading you’ll need to do before you purchase your land and as you move forward.

And wherever you build, remember to Build Boldly!

Top Seven Design Trends in Timber Frame Homes

timbermag — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:56:41 +0000

Timber frame homes offer so much flexibility that you’d think it would be hard to select which design features are the most requested. But that’s not the case. We see several design options requested in almost every home. Many of these requests are what draw homeowners to timber frames in the first place.

Smaller Homes – We have had more requests for smaller, manageable space in recent years. The smaller home costs less to build, less to heat and cool, less to maintain long term. Some people are drawn to a more “human” scale that a smaller timber frame home offers. Whether this trend is driven by economy or by a wish to have less home to maintain, I believe it’s a trend that is here to stay.
Flexible Living – Timber frames are a natural for this option. Life is full of surprises. Flexibility allows you to adjust your space accordingly. A timber frame typically has no bearing walls, so adding a door, moving or removing a wall is an easy option.
Energy Efficiency – Energy costs continue to soar, so most homeowners are looking for some insurance, in the form of an energy efficient home, to help them keep the costs in check. A timber frame home, wrapped in energy efficient structural insulated panels, will help to keep those costs in line…long term.
Accessible Design – Wider doorways, room to navigate with a wheelchair, limited hallways, and living space on one floor are options that are always discussed early in the design process. Often homeowners opt for having a bedroom suite on the second floor for now, but plan to move downstairs when and if navigating stairs is a problem. Elevators, either installed as the home is built or in space planned in the original design for installation later are becoming a standard design discussion item.
Open Kitchens and Dining Space – A look back at large country kitchens where families gathered at day’s end give insight into today’s kitchen and dining area design. Kitchens are no longer tucked in the back of the house, accessible only by a closed doorway. Dining rooms are seldom designed as separate formal spaces.
Outdoor Living Spaces – Whether this means a great porch that expands the indoor living spaces through the seasons, a screen porch for dining sans-bugs, or a pavilion with an outdoor fireplace or kitchen, timber frames make living outdoors an easy option.
Earth Friendly and Natural – Timber is a naturally renewable resource that is minimally processed and requires almost no maintenance. Natural wood floorings and wool rugs are a natural for timber frames. Wall to wall carpet is still an option in certain areas, but there are very few requests for it in great rooms and more public living areas. Natural stone for flooring and showers and low and no VOC paints and finishes top the lists of specifications that will help everyone breathe easier and live more comfortably.

So plan your home to help you live well and when you build, Build Boldly!

Bonnie Pickartz

Winter in Timber Frame Homes

timbermag — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:38:57 +0000

Many wished for a white Christmas, and many got their wish. The Christmas Storm of 2010 will be remembered as one that snuck upon the East Coast and the South, bringing snow to places that hadn’t seen Christmas snow for decades…or ever. Homes were cloaked in white. Timber frame homes were especially beautiful, with their white roofs and lights through the windows.

Goshen timber frame homes are wrapped in energy efficient panels, keeping the cold out and the warm in. Even with vaulted ceilings and expansive open spaces, no heat was lost. Roofs showed no warm air escaping, no tell-tale lines of heat leaking into the cold.

Timber frame homes are classic. They can be designed to fit any style that pleases you and can be designed to fit any locale, any neighborhood. They can have walls of windows to help “daylight” the home and to bring the outdoors in.

Timber frames make perfect smaller homes. With no need for load bearing walls, spaces open up easily and with flexibility unavailable in other types of construction.

So as you ponder your dream home, think timber frame. Check out the timber frame plans at Goshen Timber Frames and sign up to be the first to see new plans at TimberStead. And however you build, build boldly!

Green Building Notes – The Materials in Your Timber Frame Home

timbermag — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:04:53 +0000

Choosing the materials you will use in building and finishing your timber frame home will be a critical next step. Using high quality, environmentally responsible materials is key to building a green home. Sustainability, energy efficiency, and the impact of the products you use on the health of the homes occupants are the key elements in building your new home.

High performance products that are produced by companies committed to the environment have been and continue to be developed. Building with regional materials is a responsible way to build with lower embodied energy. Products that have increased durability and reduced maintenance will continue to pay off long term. Energy efficiency is important in all decisions from appliances to windows. Be sure to use Energy Star rated components whenever possible.

As a client of Goshen Timber Frames, you will choose to build a home that is either a timber framed home wrapped in R-24 wall and R-40 polyurethane structural insulated panels, a hybrid home consisting of some timber framed areas and other areas built with the same structural insulated panels with timber roof support, or a panelized home built with structural insulated panels with timber roof support. Any of these options have given you a head start on building your home in a green, responsible fashion.

Explore the options for finishing your new home carefully. Take your time in making these decisions. Even when you are looking for a cost effective option, you will have many choices.

* Durability is key to the materials and products you use. Durable products are less likely to end up in the landfill in a few years. The manufacturing process is very energy intensive. The more durable, longer lasting a product is and the less maintenance it requires, the more energy it saves.

* Gather samples so you can compare the color and quality of your choices.

* While it is comforting to buy from companies with a responsible track record and with names that we’ve heard for years, don’t rule out a newer company who is offering a product that is comparable and is getting good reviews.

* Buying a product that is available regionally can help keep your project timeline on target. Waiting for a special order product that has to be shipped from another country or region can cause delays. Transportation is costly and polluting. Locally or regionally produced materials save money and are more environmentally responsible.

* Keep in mind the long term maintenance and longevity of the products you choose. No matter how much you like a product, research how much time and money will be required to keep it looking good. Will the product need to be replaced in a few years? Will the maintenance be a drain on time and resources.

* Recycled and salvaged building materials can add charm to your home and reduce landfill use. Sacrificing energy and water efficiency by reusing windows and plumbing fixtures isn’t a good idea, but interior doors, moldings, cabinets, hardware, and lumber are all good choices.

* High efficiency heating and cooling equipment, properly sized for your home and insulation values, save money and produce less pollution. Mechanical ventilation is necessary in today’s tight homes. Energy or heat recovery ventilators will ensure healthy indoor air.

* Water efficient plumbing fixtures (water conserving showerheads, toilets, and faucets) save water and reduce the demand on septic systems and sewage systems. Reducing water usage saves on the water system and reduces energy costs to heat the water.

* Listen carefully to your own voice as you make decisions. The input of the professionals is critical, but you and your family will live in your home. Accept their suggestions and advice, but use only what works for you and your family.

The above items are the big picture. The harder decisions will be smaller, more detailed, but every bit as critical to building a sustainable, energy efficient home. Your home as a whole is the end result of many, many smaller pieces. We will start defining energy efficient and sustainable building products early in the design/build process and will be available to help you evaluate your choices.

Building a sustainable, energy efficient timber frame home doesn’t have to be difficult and isn’t rocket science. Just spend the time and energy necessary to make good choices and you’ll end up with a home built for generations.

And when you build…don’t forget to build boldly.